The 2010 Census - Kearney Counts!

The 2010 Census is now on Facebook. Click here to view.

In March 2010, the Census Bureau will mail questionnaires to more than 130 million addresses across the nation. One of the shortest census forms in history, the 2010 Census questionnaire asks 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Completing your census questionnaire is easy, important and safe and your participation is essential to ensuring a brighter tomorrow for our communities. Click here to view a sample 2010 Census Questionnaire.

Sample Questionnaire (English)
Sample Questionaire (Bilingual)

Required once every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution, the census will count every person living in the United States, both citizens and noncitizens. Census data is used to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives, re-district each state and determine the distribution of the Electoral College. Census data also directly affects how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to state, local and tribal governments. Most importantly, census data is critical in determining locations for new hospitals, improving schools, building new roads, expanding public transportation options and creating new maps for emergency responders.

What's at Stake in Missouri and Kearney?

• Missouri is on the cusp of losing a Congressional Seat. If Missouri does lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, it is forecasted to be by less than 1 percent of the total population. In 2000, Missouri's response rate was 69 percent.
• Restaurants and other businesses use census data when determining what communities in which they want to locate.
• Based on a Brookings Institute study, Missouri received $1,327 per person in federal aid which was allocated based on census counts. This would equate to a loss of $1.3 million for each 100 persons missed in 2010 census over the next decade. An undercount of 100,000 people would equal $130 million.
• Census data is used for a variety of purposes including appropriating money to the state and local communities, apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and helping to guide and inform community decisions.
• Every year the federal government allocates more than $400 billion to the states and communities based partly on census data. Funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation, child care, senior citizen centers and much more.

Countdown to Census Day April 1, 2010

• Spring 2009: Census employees go door-to-door to update address list nationwide
• Fall 2009: Recruitment begins for census takers needed for peak workload in 2010.
• February 2010 - March 2010: Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households.
• April 1, 2010: CENSUS DAY
• April - July 2010: Census takers visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail.
• December 2010: By law, the Census Bureau delivers population counts to president for apportionment.
• March 2011: Census Bureau completes delivery of redistricting data to the states.

By participating in the census, you can help create a better future for you and those important to you. Complete and return your form when it arrives. To learn more, visit 2010census.gov.